Description
Haevynne is a brilliant, resourceful, and humble young woman. She is also an extremely gifted competitor. At her school, she presents a daunting challenge when classmates are pitted against her in duels. One of her classmates, Pahil, will often surrender immediately due to her respect for Haevynne. Haevynne fears her own abilities and worries that she may hurt one of her mates during the heat of the battle. In order to prevent this, Haevynne divulges some of her pugilistic skills and tricks to her friends.
Haevynne is from the kingdom of Aleksaria and her goal is to become a defender of her homeland. Her and her classmates are striving to gain admittance to the elite West Camp, which is a further stepping stone toward becoming a member of the military. Despite Haevynne’s unrelenting competitiveness and one-upmanship, her classmates are fiercely loyal and protective of her. Haevynne is equally defensive of her pals and will fight anyone who bullies them.
Haevynne wants to preserve Aleksaria. Yet, her teacher Maryk believes she is not living up to her potential. Haevynne may be an exemplary archer and weaver, but her selflessness is inhibiting her growth. Haevynne manages to gain admittance into West Camp, but Maryk decides to send her on a mission where she hopefully will improve her techniques. She is sent out to the wild where she meets Asha who bests Haevynne in their initial fight but aids her in sharpening her battle tactics. Haevynne’s time in the wilderness enlightens her and emboldens her. Her direction is now assured. She is ready to battle the transcendents and any other dangers.
Osea: An Isarine Story is an engrossing fantasy about Haevynne’s) journey of self-discovery as she evolves from pupil to adept warrior. Haevynne is an interesting character in that her book smarts are offset by an ineptitude in reading social cues. She has friends but often will keep them at a distance. The tragic loss from her past is the impetus in her achieving her goals. Once Haevynne has left the safety of the camp and gone into the wilderness, her transformation begins to accelerate and the narrative becomes more fraught with angst.
At its core, this is a book about the powerful bonds of friendship and how even the strongest warriors need help now and then. Author S.E.T. has written a winning and empowering novel wherein the heroine’s path is long and winding, but every bit of it is fulfilling and entertaining.
